Changi to be demolished

Changi ... life in the prison camp (in the background) portrayed in John Doyle's ABC series.

Singapore's infamous Changi Prison, where thousands of Allied prisoners of war and civilians lived and died during the Second World War, is to be demolished, defying demands for its preservation.

"With the scarcity of land in Singapore, it is necessary to redevelop the cluster of prisons at Changi to make way for new prison facilities," Singapore's prisons department said in a statement.

Since the demolition was first proposed, Singaporean veterans and several prominent Australians, including Alexander Downer, the foreign minister, and John Anderson, the deputy prime minister, have asked for the jail to be preserved.

Some 15,000 Australians were among the 58,000 imprisoned in Changi during the war. Thousands died of disease and malnutrition, including Mr Downer's father.

The prison department acknowledged that the jail "holds a special place in the collective memory of our people, as well as many Australians".

Its statement said: "Plans are in the offing to preserve a small part of Changi Prison either at its current location or at a suitable alternative location."